HARARE residents have petitioned Parliament, demanding urgent action to address worsening water pollution, citing weak enforcement of environmental laws and institutional failures that have turned Lake Chivero and surrounding water sources into serious health hazards.
The residents say the persistent pollution is largely caused by the continuous discharge of raw sewage from Chitungwiza, Harare, and Epworth, due to non-functional sewer systems. They also accuse industries of releasing untreated effluent into municipal sewer networks in violation of the Environmental Management Act.
In a petition tabled before Parliament by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), residents urged legislators to strengthen water legislation, create a dedicated regulatory authority, and enforce tougher measures to curb pollution and restore water safety.
"Harmonise existing environmental water laws and regulations to eliminate overlapping contradictions.
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"Reform water laws to establish a dedicated regulatory authority, the Water and Wastewater Services Regulatory Unit, which would oversee wastewater and drinking water management, enforce water quality standards, conduct regular audits, and ensure public health compliance.
"Include legal provisions in environmental water laws to ensure that fines and permit fees collected under the polluter pays principle are exclusively used for pollution mitigation and ecological restoration," reads part of the petition.
The petitioners also called for a review of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] and related pollution laws to ensure that fines and permit fees reflect the actual cost of environmental damage, while introducing incentives for industries to minimise or prevent pollution.
Lake Chivero, Harare's main water source, remains heavily polluted with nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, which have triggered the proliferation of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and the release of toxins harmful to aquatic life and human health.
Tests conducted on water samples have revealed contamination levels capable of causing serious health complications.
In November 2024, government banned fishing activities at Lake Chivero after excessive pollution led to the deaths of four rhinos, fish, and other wildlife.
